Low Income Legal Assistance Resources

The following information will assist you if you are in need of an attorney for a civil legal matter but cannot afford one.

Overview

In Iowa there are limited resources and programs available to provide free civil legal assistance. When you call a program to request assistance, you will be screened for eligibility. A client is eligible for assistance if their income and assets fall within the established guidelines and if the case fits within the priorities set by the program.

Not all clients who are financially eligible will be able to receive assistance because of the limited staff or volunteer resources of the programs. The program will assess your case to determine if they may be able to assist you. Your case may be handled by one of the staff attorneys at the program. In some circumstances your case will be referred to a private attorney who has volunteered to assist persons referred through a pro bono program.

Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project

The Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (“Polk County VLP”) one of the most successful programs in the country. Polk County lawyers donate more than 5,000 hours of their time annually to ensure that every client with legal needs can access the justice system.

Legal Hotline for Older Iowans

Learn more about the issues which the Older Iowans Hotline can assist.

Muscatine Legal Services

Muscatine Legal Services (MLS) provides quality legal assistance to low- income residents of Muscatine County. MLS provides assistance in the following civil matters, but are not limited to: Dissolution of Marriage, Child Custody, Actions for Child Support, Paternity Actions, Family Law matters, Guardianship or Conservatorship, Unemployment claims, Social Security claims, Landlord-tenant disputes, and consumer complaints. In addition to these civil matters, MLS assists defendants in criminal misdemeanor cases that are appointed by the court. MLS also assists with children in need of assistance (CINA), or children who have been accused of delinquent behavior; both types of these cases in juvenile court. MLS partners with Family Resources to offer free representation in obtaining restraining orders through a Domestic Violence Victim Assistance program. In addition, MLS will provide no cost assistance to victims in divorce and custody actions, provided that they are separated from the abuser for a period of six months.

122 E. 2nd StreetMuscatine, IA 52761(563) 263-8663

Story County Legal Aid Society

Legal Aid Society of Story County is a non-profit corporation, formed in 1974 to provide legal assistance in civil matters to families who cannot afford to hire an attorney in private practice.

Drake University Legal Clinic

Through the Neal & Bea Smith Legal Clinic, students have the chance to gain practical experience by working with actual clients. The clinic also serves the community by helping those who might not otherwise have access to legal assistance.

University of Iowa Clinical Law Program

The College of Law's Clinical Law Programs reflect the richness and diversity of modern law practice and the College of Law's commitment to clinical education. The clinic operates like a law firm within the walls of the Boyd Law Building, offering students the opportunity to put their legal skills to use in a variety of practice areas and venues.

Student interns work on cases supervised by full-time faculty members, and have primary responsibility for the representation of their clients at all stages of the legal process, including interviewing and counseling, negotiation, fact investigation, depositions, drafting and briefing, and courtroom appearances.

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ISBA FIND-A-LAWYER service is a directory provided by The Iowa State Bar Association to assist its members and the public in locating an attorney. All lawyers listed in FIND-A-LAWYER are members of The Iowa State Bar Association. The Iowa State Bar Association does not recommend or endorse the services of those listed, nor does the omission of others from this directory imply a negative assessment, or any evaluation or recommendation whatsoever. Nothing in this FIND-A-LAWYER directory should be relied upon as legal advice. The information on these pages has been supplied by the persons and firms listed, and The Iowa State Bar Association has not reviewed, investigated, or evaluated the accuracy or completeness of the information, or qualifications or competency of those listed. The Iowa State Bar Association, and its members, and employees hereby disclaim any responsibility or liability claimed to have arisen from reliance upon the information contained in the ISBA FIND-A-LAWYER directory.